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"As if you needed us to tell you the season premiere of "The Simpsons" is good. The way this animated comedy has managed to stay fresh for over 12 years, while a host of other shows have fallen by the wayside, is proof enough of its genius.

The episode opens with Bart and Milhouse "accidentally" stealing Chief Wiggum's police car, which lands the duo in court. Although Milhouse gets away scot-free, Bart is thrown to the wolves when Judge Constance Harm (voiced by guest star Jane Kaczmarek) takes the stand. The punishment? Blaming the parents for not taking their parenting responsibilities seriously, she sentences Homer to be tethered to Bart.

Of course the situation leads to unforeseen complications and annoyances, leading Marge to take control and cut the cord -- which only serves to land her in Harm's way.

So if you really need to hear us say it, the episode is good -- in fact, the 13th-season opener is brilliant. After all, it is "The Simpsons."

<b>Entertainment Weekly: Positive</b>

''Simpsons'' geeks love to pontificate about which season of the show's remarkable 12-year run reigns supreme. (Here's a vote for season 5, boosted by the flawless ''Cape Feare'' and Burns casino episodes.) But what we nerds...um, excuse me, fans often overlook is that even when Matt Groening's animated sitcom fails to bring its A game, it's still (yellow) heads and shoulders above any other comedy on the air. The season 13 premiere is a perfect example of such run-of-the-mill excellence. When Bart ends up crashing Chief Wiggum's police cruiser, he finds himself (and negligent father Homer) at the mercy of Judge Constance Harm (voiced by ''Malcolm in the Middle'''s Jane Kaczmarek). There's nothing splashy about it, but in an era when other long-running hits are resorting to weddings and babies to generate viewer interest, it's always refreshing to see a show stay simple while hamming it up. Mmmmmm, ham...
A-

USAtoday

What is with USAToday they've said both episodes so far are horrible and we know that THOHXII was good. I hope thy're wrong about this episode too. I think they have someone very angry writing reviews lately

Originally posted by Centaur I wouldnt' read reviews and I would try to avoid spoilers. A big reason why I liked "The Parent Rap" was because I didn't know exactly what would happen. Those reviews give everything away.

Originally posted by Centaur I wouldnt' read reviews and I would try to avoid spoilers. A big reason why I liked "The Parent Rap" was because I didn't know exactly what would happen. Those reviews give everything away.

Did you secretly, illegally watch the "Parent Rap" somehow? Because how could you say you like it with out seeing it?

Not as good as ThoH XII, but still entertaining. There was more of a story this time around, and I kinda did like Snake wondering if the judge was really once a "dude". I also liked the blackboard gag a lot. Jokes were consistant, but not hystericaly funny. Strong start to the season anyway.

Grade: 86% (B)

Gotta go: Malcom in the Middle is on!

This week's Invention Exchange:Cake 'N Shake: the cake with a real exotic dancer, all in one box!"Now even mom, dad, and the kids can enjoy a Chippendale dancer at little Jimmy's seventh birthday!

The episode on a whole was pretty average, but there were some old-style simpsons signs in the episode. For one, when was the last time we heard Marge make a serious loving speech like she did infront of the judge? Same with Bart. The episode was like a more extreme "There's No Disgrace Like Home". A good ending too.

eh..i didnt really care for this one. it started off ok, but once the tether was cut...the whole judge speaking through the cable...then the stocks..just didnt do it for me. there were a couple good lines, like the hobos 'bout time i got some recognition' and the judges 'you remind me of when i was a little boy.' my main thing is i think it was the realism and character development that made the show great. this episode doesnt make enough use of its secondary characters and it is largely unrealistic

The Parent Rap

My favorite part is the Homer attacked by Cobra's dream.
It reminded me of when he used the Mr. Cleanser in
Bart Gets An Elephant and was being attacked by the
hallucinations and Marge told him to stop screaming so loud.
I felt the episode had some good memorable parts, but lacked
a lot of solid humor all the way through. Nevertheless, a good start to the main episodes of the 13th season.
I'd give it a B-

I thought it was inventive, and had some good moments, such as when Lisa talked to Snake and Chief Wiggum at Lardlad Donuts. Also, it took place in the community of Springfield more than many recents, with scenes at SNPP, Lardlad, and court. But there were the bad points. Like many Scully episodes, it began well but did not stay on focus and became "wacky". The plot lost hold of itself and veered into a somewhat funny nowhere. Funny parts, but overall, seemed very Scullyish towards the end.

A

I enjoyed the episode a lot. It had very funny consistent jokes and the plot made sense. It is definitely gonna be a different Simpsons this season from last season. The ending came together real well with a nice way to get back at big meanie (only one way to express what she is)click for a more in depth opinion from me...